memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — Tens of thousands of Elvis Presley fans are expected to pay respects to the rock 'n' roll icon during a candlelight vigil at Graceland tonight marking the 35th anniversary of his death.

The vigil is just one of many Elvis Week activities, the annual celebration of Presley's life and career. Jonathan Lyons of the Memphis Visitor’s Bureau says Elvis week accounts for the biggest slice of the $3 billion tourists spend in Shelby County annually.

Lyons says this year’s highlight is a concert that features a virtual Elvis.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Voters in six Memphis suburbs have approved the creation of municipal public school systems to sidestep the merger of city and county schools.

Referendums in Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington passed Thursday. Next month, a judge will have the final say on whether the vote will stand.

Voters in those municipalities want their own schools to avoid the merger between the larger, struggling, majority-black Memphis school system and the smaller, more successful, majority-white Shelby County district.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $395,000 a year for three years to Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region.

A news release said the money will provide Title X family planning services, including birth control and related health care, annual wellness exams and cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

Planned Parenthood in Memphis said it had provided these services for more than 30 years until last year when county health officials awarded the funding to Christ Community Health Services.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal says the inspirational football film “Undefeated” fairly accurately portrays the real-life experiences of Memphis businessman Bill Cortney as he leads the inner city Manassas High School football team to a winning season in 2009 and 10.

The film is also a hit with critics. It has an 83 percent favorable rating on the review site RottenTomatoes.com.

The measures would hem the city in by limiting its ability to annex surrounding communities.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal says the bills were introduced by three east Shelby County Republicans. One of the measures was introduced by Sen. Mark Norris and Rep. Curry Todd, both of Collierville; the other by Norris and Rep. Ron Lollar of Bartlett.